Paines in the Past
by Emotionless Android
Summary: Ever wondered about what happened in Paine's past? Meeting the crimson squad, losing her family, she's seen it all. Read to find out what happens. Rated PG-13 just in case.
1. Seeing Sin

Paines in the Past By: Mari the Homicidal Maniac  
  
Disclaimer: Mari: *sighs* Great. I have to do one of these again. *Looks at Toey* Do you want to do it?  
  
Toey: NO! Just do it!  
  
Mari: Ok! Ok, Mr. Pushy!  
  
Toey: I'm a guy?  
  
Mari: *shrugs* Eh. Who knows?  
  
Toey: Aren't you supposed to be disclaiming?  
  
Mari: Ok, keep your fur on! *Monotonously* I do not own Square Enix or Final Fantasy X-2.  
  
Toey: It would be cool if you did, though.  
  
Mari: With your luck you'd break it.  
  
Toey: Just read and review the story will ya?  
  


* * *

  
It was yet another uneventful day in Mi'ihen Village, and Paine was getting bored. Sparring against her brothers could only fill up so much time. Now, she sat with them on the roof of the Travel Agency and watched as chocobos sped by. The tree of them often came here to watch summoners pass through on their pilgrimage to defeat Sin. If they were lucky, they would get to see them summon one of the legendary aeons that summoners called upon in battle. But such occasions were rare.  
Paine sighed and lay back against the roof. "So," she said, "What do you guys wanna do with your lives when we leave here?"  
Her youngest brother, Corin, was the first to answer. "I wanna be a Crusader!" He shouted and pumped his fist into the air. "Sin'll shake in terror when he hears MY name!" Paine chuckled slightly and ruffled his hair. "You do that squirt."  
"I want to travel all over Spira and become a great philosopher like Maechen," replied Crew, her other brother. He was wiser well beyond his years and loved books more than anything else in the world.  
Paine rolled her eyes at her 13-year-old brother's plan. "Him? Honestly, Crew; the man doesn't even remember how old he is! He spends most of his time crouched over and looking at statues! Is that what you want your life to be like?"  
Crew scowled at her. "Well, I'd like to hear you come up with something better, Miss Smarty Pants!"  
Smiling that dreamy smile of hers, she stared up at a passing gull. "I want to join the Crimson Squad."  
"The what?" her brothers chorused.  
"It's some sort of elite fighting force that Maester Kinoc started. You go all around Spira, fighting fiends, toppling machina. Sound's like heaven compared to here!"  
Corin scrunched up his face in confusion and Crew just shrugged. They went back to silently watching the ocean.  
Finally, Paine had had enough. She sat up and jumped off the roof. "You guy's want to go to Luca? I hear the Beasts and Goers are at it again for the championship."  
Crew slid off the roof. "I dunno, sis. I heard Sin was pretty active today."  
"Oh come on guys! When was the last time that Sin attacked Luca?" she said, waving off the warning.  
Her youngest brother shook his head as well. As much as he would have liked to go see a blitzball game, he went along with whatever Crew did. Realizing that they wouldn't change their minds, Paine scoffed and trotted down the Highroad. As usual, she was careful for fiends, which attacked even with all of the crusaders patrolling the road.  
At last, the great city of Luca appeared in her view. It was the largest city in all of Spira. Cities never got any bigger than Luca, because when a lot of people started to gather, Sin came.  
She jogged over to the booth and bought a ticket for the game. Legend had it that it was played in Zanarkand 1000 years ago before the city was destroyed.  
The Championship for the cup was between the Luca Goers and the Kilika Beasts, two of the best teams around. Paine found a spot in the crowd and sat down just as the pipes turned on and the sphere began to fill with water. She smiled and opened her mouth to root for the Goers, when her brief moment of serenity was shattered.  
A tremor shook the stadium. Then another, and another! She felt the air grow colder as a shadow passed over the sun. Her head turned upward...  
"SIN!!!" the horrible sound that everyone dreaded erupted from the crowd, conveying all of their emotions into that single, terrifying word. Sin. Destroyer. Murderer.  
Paine wasted no time in getting to the Highroad. She couldn't stop Sin, but she could at least save her family. Her feet acted on their own accord, propelling her forward through the screaming crowds.  
Someone grabbed her arm as she left the perimeter of Luca. A Crusader. "I'm sorry, miss, you can't go that way. That's where Sin is coming from!" But Paine could not be stopped. Red eyes blazing in fury, she whirled around and drove the point of her sword into him. She didn't care. She just kept on running.  
It was just a little bit longer to get to the village. She saw it all in her head. Her brothers would rush toward her, wind whipping at their clothes. They would rescue her parents and hide in the underground shelter that they had built on the Oldroad. And Sin would come and destroy the village, but it could all be rebuilt. At least they would be together.  
She rounded the corner, mouth open to yell for them.  
The village was gone. Every bit of wood and grass had been taken away by the wind. "Corin!" she shouted into the emptiness. "Crew! Answer me, damn you!" Her short, brown hair wildly flew around her face. She looked in the direction of the Oldroad, and saw only a crater. The whole shelter had been ripped out.  
Her bloody sword clattered on the remaining stones, and she fell with it. "How..." she murmured. "How can this be happening?" She drew in a sharp breath as a low, inhuman moan resonated behind her.  
She didn't need to look to know what was there.  
Hands clenched into fists, she rose to face Sin.  
It looked like a gigantic, flying, whale, with monsters dripping out of its leathery body. Arrow-like fiends shot everywhere from its hideous shell.  
"How could you?" she hissed between her teeth, all her fear gone. "How can you do this?" Then she looked up into the face of death... and death's jaws parted in a hideous, diabolical smile.  
One of the arrow-fiends flew at her, and struck her in the chest. She staggered back, feeling blood trickle out of the wound. Her vision of the monster blurred and went black.  
She knew no more.  
  


* * *

  
Toey: "She knew no more." Don't you think that's kind of clichéd?  
  
Mari: *shrugs* Meh. It works. You know, I'm not sure where Paine used to live, so I just picked the Mi'ihen Highroad.  
  
Toey: ...Whatever. Oh by the way, see that little purple button down below? The one that says Go? Click on it. Now. 


	2. A New Paine

Mari: Do you think they liked it?  
  
Toey: I dunno. There are not enough REVIEWS!  
  
Mari: Anyway, I do not own FF X-2 blah blah blah.  
  
Toey: Woot!  
  
Mari: Just keep reading!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Paine awoke with her chest aching. She groaned and pressed her hands to her forehead. They came away sticky with blood. But apparently, Sin had cared enough to let her live.  
Silent tears slipped out her eyes. She knew better than to hope for her brothers to be alive. Sin killed everything in its path. She had been lucky.  
Rubbing the blood out of her eyes, she looked around.  
All around her was a forest of ice and crystal, with snow sparkling on the ground. To her right was a lake as still and clear as glass. She barely crawled towards it, holding her hand to her chest. (Which wasn't even bleeding anymore.) Perhaps someone would find her there.  
A miserable reflection met her eyes. Blood dripped from a cut in her forehead, making her eyes seem redder than usual. Most of her hair had been singed off, and what was left of it was an ashen gray.  
"It doesn't even look like me," she muttered, slapping the horrible reflection into oblivion. "Why is this happening?!" she screamed into the silence. "Why me?!"  
"There's no need to shout," a voice answered from behind her.  
Paine whirled around to face a tall bird creature with a harp attached to its arm. The creature strummed the harp gently and turned towards her. "Wh-what are you?" she stammered.  
"I am Bayra," he said in an educated voice. "My friends are musicians who have lived in the Macalania Woods for generations."  
"Where?"  
"Here. This forest of ice is Macalania," Bayra explained, gesturing around him.  
Paine looked down. "I don't suppose this place is very far from Mi'ihen, is it?"  
"Ay, lass! 'Dis place here be very fah fram the Highroad indeed! Very fah!" a stout figure exclaimed, coming out from behind a tree. He looked slightly like a frog on two legs, with a drum for a stomach, which he would beat from time to time.  
"I was afraid of that."  
"Don't be sad, oh don't be blue. We'll cheer you up, that's what we do!" said a soft voice from behind her. It looked like a mouse with two horns for ears and playing a flower instrument.  
"Ah, mademoiselle, meet my two friends," Bayra said, "This is Donga," he pointed to the creature playing the drum, "and this is Pukutak." He gestured over at the horn player. "How may we be of service?"  
Her shoulders slumped. "Not of much. Unless you can bring back the dead."  
Bayra shook his head. "I am sorry. That is something we cannot do."  
"Didn't think so."  
"Please, oh please, my dear new friend. We'll help you to whatever end."  
Paine looked at Pukutak. "I want to heal," she whispered.  
Donga swept her up into his arms. "No problem, lass! I'll take ye to the agency. Rin'll know how to help ye!" She saw a swirl of orange light appear around the drummer's legs, and the next thing she knew, she was at one of Rin's Travel Agencies. There had been one on the Highroad, but it was probably gone now.  
A young Al Bhed woman stood at the counter. "Rammu!" she chirped, (that meant hello in Al Bhed) "Donga! What can I do for—oh my goodness!" She rushed over to the nearly unconscious Paine's side. "We need to get you a room!"  
Paine let herself be carried like a rag doll to an empty room. She fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Toey: That was short and uneventful.  
  
Mari: *Grimaces* Kind of angsty, don't you think?  
  
Toey: *shrugs* Just a little.  
  
Mari:. . .Wait a minute . . . You're a penguin! You can't shrug!  
  
Toey: Sure I can! *Shrugs*  
  
Mari: Ok, this is creeping me out. 


	3. A Forest of Ice and Thunder

Mari: How are the reviews?  
  
Toey: Read 'em yourself, you lazy bum!  
  
Mari: I'LL FEED YOU TO THE EVIL POPTART YOU BLASPHEMER!  
  
Toey: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When Paine woke up, she found herself covered in bandages. The wound in her chest no longer hurt, and her head didn't feel like it was going to explode anymore. A quick brush through her hair revealed that the singed parts had been artfully cut off, but the hair itself was still smoky gray.  
"Good morning!" an Al Bhed man said as he came into the room. "It is good to see you are finally awake. My name is Rin. I own this Travel Agency and several others."  
"Sorry I can't pay," Paine remarked, gesturing at her tattered clothes.  
Rin waved her off. "Quite alright. I understand."  
"Thanks."  
"May I ask," Rin inquired, "what happened?"  
Paine considered telling the Al Bhed merchant everything. About Mi'ihen and Sin and her brothers. He seemed trustworthy enough. No. She couldn't. Everyone seems trustworthy until they stab you in the back. "I fell out of a tree, and landed on an ice patch," she fibbed.  
If Rin knew that she was lying, he didn't say anything. He simply bowed and wished her well as he left the room.  
Paine sighed. What could she do now? No family to return to, no friends. She had to go somewhere.  
"Well I suppose I'll start by getting up," she muttered, and stood. Remarkably, nothing hurt anymore. The mirror on the other side of the room proved that all her scratches and bruises had disappeared. The wound in her chest had also fully healed.  
Sadly her old clothes had not fared as well as her body. They were scuffed and torn and tattered everywhere. She tossed them aside and put on the garb that the Al Bhed girl had left her. "Just a temporary fix," she said to her reflection.  
She pushed what remained of her hair into an awkward position. "I could get used to it." (A/N This is the hair that Paine has in FF X-2...now.)  
The Al Bhed girl ran into her room. "Master Rin told me that you woke up! How are you feeling? Do the clothes fit? Are you hungry? Do you need anything."  
Paine blinked. "Um...good, yes, no, no."  
"Oh, thank Yevon! You've been out for two days! We actually had to ask a passing summoner to heal you! It's amazing you're alive!"  
Paine stopped her and shook her head, "Whoa! Wait a minute! A summoner healed me?"  
"Most true!"  
"Crew would have loved to see that," she whispered. She plopped down on the edge of the bed.  
"Are you alright?" the girl asked.  
"Fine," she said bitterly, "Listen, I need to leave. Do you know of any places that sell clothes?"  
The girl looked hurt, but Paine no longer regretted her words. After receiving directions, she gathered her clothes to be thrown out. Something clattered out of the torn pocket of her pants. She bent down to pick it up.  
It was a silver medallion in the shape of a tassel. Corin had found it on top of some ruins. He gave it to her as a birthday present. The corners of her lips turned upward as she buckled it around her neck. She would go back to what was left Mi'ihen.  
But first to find some clothes. She followed the Al Bhed girl's instructions and reached a small shop not too far from Macalania Temple.  
Half an hour later, she emerged bearing her new look. A black leather shirt (A/N I don't know what to call it! It's a frickin' leather strap! Why am I even describing it if you only read this if you know about FF X-2?) and shorts attached to each other with belts. Tall boots, black leather stockings and black gloves completed the ensemble.  
The new outfit gave her a cold appearance. She actually enjoyed watching people recoil away from her. Hide their children as she passed. The gruesome skull on her belt buckle didn't really help with her popularity.  
On her way to the entrance of the forest, she came across Bayra once more. "It relieves me to see you are well again," he said, strumming the harp. "Thank you, Bayra." Her voice was all formality. None of it's former softness remained. She turned around and continued towards the entrance.  
"Wait," he said, "I found this in the forest, perhaps lost by a passing warrior. I would like to give it to you as a farewell gift, should our paths not cross again." He handed her a long blade that was engraved with a skull where the hilt and metal met.  
She accepted it with a slight bow. Bayra nodded in return, and then disappeared in a flash of white light.  
After blinking for a moment, Paine shouldered the sword and approached the darkness before her.  
Claps of thunder met her ears. It was a gigantic plain that sparked with lightning and the skies constantly rained.  
CRASH! She jumped aside and a thin tendril of lightning struck the spot where she had been the second before.  
"Better keep moving," she said out loud and bolted.  
She dodged from tower to tower, never stopping for breath. After what seemed like forever, a green glow appeared before her. It was a tunnel encrusted with vines.  
With the lightning going crazy around her, Paine decided it was better not to think about what was in the cave until she got there. She sprinted towards the entrance, slicing any fiends in her way.  
One final leap off the back of a Dual Horn propelled her into the mouth of the tunnel. She painfully collided with the cobblestone floor. "Owww . . ." she groaned, lifting her head. Three tall figures dressed in green ceremonial robes looked down on her.  
Paine stumbled to her feet and bowed, her hands held in front of her as if she was holding a sphere. It was the standard prayer of Yevon. She had to show respect for Yevon in this place, Guadosalam, home of one of Yevon's Maesters. The Guado were a race of fair-skinned, usually green-haired people. They were the protectors of the Farplane, a place where the living could see their memories of the dead.  
Her family was probably already there.  
The three Guado returned the prayer, and the oldest stepped forward.  
"I am Tromell," he said slowly, gesturing his long hands around him, "Welcome to Guadosalam, home of the great Lord Jyscal."  
"I'm just passing through," she said, pushing by them.  
"You wish to see the Farplane, do you not? I can see it in your eyes."  
Paine stopped dead. "So what if I am?" she replied testily.  
Tromell shook his head. "Very well, but remember this; the past cannot help you any longer. It is done and cannot be remade anew."  
"Thanks, old man, but I already know that." And taking long, quick strides, she ran past the entrance to her memories.  
A rush of humid air blew into her face as she exited Guadosalam. A swampy river of pyreflies rippled before her.  
"It's the Moonflow," she murmured as she looked into her reflection in the water. Her scratches and bruises had all healed over.  
"Ride ze shoopuf?" The speaker was a blue-skinned hypello. He gestured over to a large, elephant-like creature with a carriage on its back.  
Paine had seen a shoopuf once before at mushroom rock road. She still couldn't get over how huge these creatures were. "Sure. Beats walking."  
"All aboards?" he said. Paine got onto the lift and into the carriage, bracing herself for the rocking of the shoopuf's slow, lumbering walk.  
She let out a forlorn sigh and stared out at the pyreflies. How many of these people had she known?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Toey: Why can't I get a shoopuf?  
  
Mari: Because they're not real, idiot!  
  
Toey: Oh . . .  
  
Mari: Shut up! You knew that already!  
  
Toey: *Glances around* Of course.  
  
Mari: R&R, people! 


	4. The Sending

Mari: Hi again! This is the disclaimer. Toey?  
  
Toey: Alrighty then! We do not own SquareEnix or FFX-2 in any way.  
  
Mari: Yeah, we're just borrowing it for a little while.  
  
Toey: We'll give it back in mint condition! We promise!  
  
Mari: Shut up! Don't make promises!  
  
Toey: Oh yeah, that's rule number one, isn't it?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For an extra 1,000 gil, the shoopuf carried Paine over to Djose Temple. Once again, she winced at the constant barrage of noise and thunder that came from its depths. But noise and all, Djose was quite a sight. Chunks of earth suspended in lighting bolts orbited its tip.  
It wouldn't be much farther till she reached Mushroom Rock.  
Maybe she could join the Crimson Squad. Not as a fighter, she had given up all hope of protecting people that wouldn't care less, but as a recorder. Yes, she could do that.  
But she was too tired. Dodging thunder and running in the humid weather of the Moonflow had sapped away her energy. She had enough gil to last her a few weeks at an inn, so she checked into one of the rooms at Djose.  
For the next few days, Paine slept to regain her lost strength. She offered to work for the shopkeeper until she realized that she was just avoiding the inevitable. She had to go to Mushroom Rock and apply for the job, but she was too afraid.  
The walk across the Djose Highroad was easy. Thankfully, it was nowhere near as long as Mi'ihen. She slowed her pace as she reached the wreckage that had once been her home. Crusaders rushed back and forth, sometimes leading chocobos laden with pieces of wood.  
Paine gingerly stepped forward. "Excuse me?" she asked one of guards. "How bad is the damage?"  
The guard turned towards her. "Hey! No solicit—Hey! If it isn't little Paine!"  
She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Ugh. Don't call me that, Yaibal. I've grown up."  
Yaibal looked at her strangely. "You don't need to tell me twice. Now uh, what was the question?"  
"How bad is the damage to the Highroad?" she repeated.  
He winced. "It's...not looking too good," he said haltingly.  
"Yaibal!"  
"All right, all right!" He sighed and pushed his helmet up a little. "But, before I tell you, I just want you to know that I like you, and I wouldn't lie to you at gunpoint!"  
"Spit it out."  
"...It's destroyed."  
Paine looked at him in disbelief. "What?" she whispered.  
"Mi'ihen Village, the Travel Agency, they're all gone. All that Sin left was the road to Luca, the ruins and the statue of Lord Mi'ihen."  
"My brothers?" she asked, grabbing his arm. "They must have made it. Are they safe?' Yaibal looked away. "Answer me!"  
Yaibal pointed to his right. "They're over there."  
Paine's eyes lit up. She ran over to the carriage her childhood friend pointed out.  
They were there. But not as Paine had hoped.  
They were lying in red coffins engraved with the symbol of Yevon. Their open eyes would see no more.  
Yaibal put his hand on her shoulder. "We've all lost someone," he murmured, looking towards the other carriages filled with dead bodies. "Sin always takes someone away."  
Paine collapsed into the tears she'd vowed to hold in. She no longer knew what she wept for. Was it herself? Was it her brothers? She didn't care. "Go away!" she shouted to Yaibal. Struck by her words, Yaibal reluctantly went back to his post.  
"You don't need to cry," a voice said from behind her, "I will make sure their souls reach the Farplane safely."  
She stood up to face a young woman who seemed a bit older than her. "Who are you?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.  
"My name is Belgemine," the green-dressed woman replied, "I believe we have met before."  
Paine frowned. She didn't remember seeing this woman ever before in her life, unless... "You're the summoner who healed me, aren't you?" Belgemine smiled and bowed. "But, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be going to Zanarkand to fight Sin?"  
"I was born in the Calm Lands," she explained, "too close to Sin, in my opinion. I need to get the necessary summons, so my final stops are Kilika and Besaid. I suppose I'll have to Send these souls as well."  
Paine knew what a Sending was. Summoners would call the souls of the dead to the Farplane, where they would rest in piece. If the dead weren't Sent, they would grow angry and envious of the living. Soon that envy turns to hate, and the dead become fiends who would prey upon the living.  
One by one, Paine watched the coffins being lowered into the water. Belgemine stepped forward, her staff in hand. She whirled it around her head, then in front of her. The crowd that had gathered behind her wept softly for their dead. Then someone started humming a familiar song. The Hymn of the Fayth, which was one of the most respected and honored prayers in all of Spira, gathered strength as more and more people started singing the sacred words.  
Belgemine spun, her staff high above her head, when pyreflies began to appear from the chests. She twirled, pushing her hand outward. Paine shuddered as she felt the soft crackle of magic in the air around her. The pyreflies moved together away from Mushroom Rock in a sparkling sea of rainbows, twisting and turning as they made their way to their final resting place.  
And then it was over. Belgemine's staff shattered. She winced. "I guess those don't really work for me," she said wryly.  
The black-clad girl looked at her with a pained look on her face. "Why do you do this?" Paine asked.  
"I have to do something if no one else will."  
Paine shook her head. Here was a woman who would sacrifice her life to save people she didn't even know. If only she had that will. Work hard at it, the voice at the back of her mind whispered, Maybe you'll get it someday. A tall man behind Belgemine coughed slightly. Paine suspected he was the summoner's guardian.  
"We should be going, my lady," he softly said.  
Belgemine sighed and put her head in her hands. "I know, Cid, the temples won't wait forever. It was great to meet you," she said to Paine.  
"Thanks, you too. Good luck!" she called as they left.  
Paine never saw Belgemine again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Toey: *sniff* That was so sad!  
  
Mari: What?  
  
Toey: The Sending!  
  
Mari: I know.  
  
Toey: You know, you just had to do it, didn't you?  
  
Mari: Do what?  
  
Toey: You just had to have one character named Cid!  
  
Mari: Well, it's a SqureSoft tradition! Of course I had to do it!  
  
Toey: *grumbles* ...Whatever.  
  
Mari: COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT! That's Squall's quote!  
  
Toey: Uh, oh... 


	5. The Letter and the Road

Mari: Well, I worked really hard on this!  
  
Toey: Ahem!  
  
Mari: Oh, right, sorry. We worked really hard on this.  
  
Toey: Good job! Have a cookie! *Hands her a cookie*  
  
Mari: Thanks! *Starts munching on cookie*  
  
Toey: We do not own Square Enix of FFX-2 in any way.  
  
Mari: Despite the fact that it's producers are locked in our basement.  
  
Toey: Shh! You aren't supposed to tell them that!  
  
Mari: Ooops!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"How are you doing?"  
Paine turned to face Yaibal. "I'm fine," she replied.  
"What are you going to do now?" he asked, worry visible in his kind face.  
She answered without hesitation. "I'm joining the Crimson Squad," she said. "I can register as a recorder."  
Yaibal looked a little taken aback. "B—but why?"  
"It's my turn to do something."  
He pushed his helmet up nervously. "B—but isn't that dangerous? The Crimson Squad is no place for a girl!"  
Paine crossed her arms. "I'll be seventeen next month," she said pointedly. "Since when do you decide what I do and don't?"  
He backed up. "All right! All right! Do whatever you want, just don't drag me into it! I'm back on duty!" With that, he jogged off to receive his orders. Paine sighed and stalked off to look for Maester Kinoc.  
She found him at the Headquarters of Mushroom Rock giving instructions to people moving large cannons. "Maester Kinoc!" she cried.  
"All right, men! Take a break!" He cried to his workers and then turned to face her. "What is it, my dear?"  
Paine took a deep breath before answering. "I want to join the Crimson Squad as a recorder."  
The portly man looked at her sideways. "I don't know," he mused, "It's an awfully dangerous job for one such as yourself. You would be better off going home."  
She clenched her fists. "My home is gone. I don't care about the danger."  
Kinoc stood still for a moment, thinking over the situation. Should he let this girl join, and most likely be killed, or should he turn her away to no family. He sighed. "Very well," he said, handing her a letter, "I've let Al Bhed join, so why not you."  
Paine bowed. "Thank you, Maester Kinoc! I will not disappoint you!" She felt slightly giddy as she walked off. Finally, something she could do! As Kinoc walked away, Paine opened the letter. It read:  
  
Dear newest Crimson Squad trainee,  
  
We are pleased that you have applied to join our force. Your first exercise as a fighter/recorder is situated in Bikanel Desert. In your team, there will be 3 fighters and 1 recorder. Your weapons or camera will be given to you when you reach the island. Your mission is to fight of f the opposing team and take the fiends out. We will be using live ammunition so it is imperative that you are careful. Should you pass this exercise, you will undertake one more mission as issued by Maester Kinoc. The ship to Bikanel Island is scheduled to leave on the 14th at 5 o'clock. Please be at Luca on time at Dock 4.  
  
Thank you for your time and consideration.  
  
"Three more members," Paine muttered, "Wonder what they'll be like." She folded the letter and put it in her back pocket. She had better get to Luca soon, the ship was to leave tomorrow.  
A lady dressed in red was leading a pair of chocobos into their pens.  
"Hey!" Paine called. "Over here!"  
The lady turned around. "Yes?" she sweetly replied, "What can I do for you, miss?"  
Paine rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I was wondering if I could rent one of your chocobos and ride it to the end of the Highroad. I sort of need to get to Luca by tomorrow," she squinted to read the woman's identification tag in the fading light, "Elma."  
Elma frowned. "I don't know...it's getting pretty dark. Are you sure you want to go now? There is a higher risk of accidents occurring at night. Muggers, villains, scavengers, it's not too safe out there..."  
Sighing, Paine dug around in one of her pockets. "How about for two thousand gil?" she said, producing the money.  
The lady smiled, "Anything for you, miss!" She handed over the reins of the large bird to Paine.  
It had been a while since she had ridden one of these things. Awkwardly swinging her legs over the feathery back, Paine was off. The chocobo trotted at a leisurely pace down the road. As they moved farther, Paine saw more and more dark shapes and remains of people's lives.  
She stopped the bird in front of the place where her town had been. All of the huts had been ripped out by the roots, leaving only a small platform of cobblestones. As she moved around, glint of metal caught her eye. She moved over to her old sword, which had somehow gotten stuck in a tree trunk. Upon touching it, she shuddered, remembering what she had done.  
In her haste to get home, she had killed another. A Crusader. One who was devoted to defend others against Sin. She killed him. "I'd better leave you here," she murmured, and left with her chocobo moving slightly faster than before.  
Most of the South End had been untouched. Only the Travel Agency had been destroyed. Paine waved solemnly at the workers, showing them that she understood their grief.  
The rest of the ride went smoothly, for the most part. She rounded the last bend and rode into Luca. The city was eerily silent at this hour, and the streets were mainly empty. It had probably come as a shock to them, for the Highroad had never been attacked directly by Sin. Paine tied the chocobo to a lamppost and sat down on a park bench, surveying her surroundings.  
As she thought, Luca had been untouched, but for the debris that littered the ground. She lay back and closed her eyes for a moment. Just a moment...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Toey: *Yawns* Great. Now I feel sleepy.  
  
Mari: I know. Staying up all night typing this is hard work.  
  
Toey: Coffee?  
  
Mari: Why, I'd love some!  
  
Random reader: Uh oh... 


	6. The Crimson Squad

Mari: Sorry it took so long to get these last two chapters up. Someone wanted to do homework.  
  
Toey: Well excuse me for thinking about your future!  
  
Mari: Shut up or I'll feed you to the evil poptart!  
  
Toey: Uhhh...we already ate it...  
  
Mari: ...Shut up!  
  
Toey: My angry friend here does not own SquareEnix or FFX-2 in any way.  
  
Mari: *foams at mouth*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The morning sounds of seagulls awoke Paine. She had fallen asleep on the park bench! Glancing up at the clock, she sat straight up. It was nine forty-five, too close to waste any time on food.  
Dock number 4 wasn't too far away, but she would have to run to make it in time. So, still half asleep, Paine scuttled to the boats. The attendant, a meek, brown-haired woman, bowed politely and accepted her letter as a pass. Mumbling low thanks, the disheveled recorder stumbled onto the boat.  
She fell into one of the beds on the lower floors and closed her eyes. Boats weren't really her thing. Just as she fell asleep, she recalled a memory of a conversation with her brother, Crew.  
  
They were splayed out on the roof of the agency as they stared over the ocean.  
"Whatcha thinking about, sis?" Crew asked.  
"Airships," she replied. "Wouldn't it be so awesome to fly in one? Fly like a bird!"  
Crew frowned on this idea. "I dunno, sis, mom and dad told me that we shouldn't use machina. It's against the teachings of Yevon."  
Paine shrugged. "Not really. I mean, you can't really shoot things out of an airship, I think. Still, don't you wanna fly?"  
"Yeah, I guess it would be fun," Crew murmured.  
"Tell you what," Paine said, standing up, "When we grow up, I'll get us an airship and we can ride on it," she extended a hand down to him. "Together. I promise." Crew smiled and took her hand, getting up as well.  
"Right!" he cried. "Together!"  
  
Paine felt a hand on her shoulder. "Go away, Crew, let me sleep!" she muttered.  
"Uh, miss?" it was the meek attendant. "We've arrived at Bikanel Island. I think you should get down there now." With that, she left to go upstairs. Paine got up and quickly scrubbed her face before grabbing her sword and leaving.  
The air on deck was hot and dry, carrying particles of dust and grit that forced itself into her mouth and nose. She coughed once or twice before spotting the large group that had huddled together on the makeshift dock.  
"Trainees of the Crimson squad!" a man in green called out over the crowd, "Please assemble in the tent to your far left! You will receive all of your directions there!" Paine and the others filed into the red tent, where they saw rows of guns, cameras, glimmering spheres, and other sorts of weaponry.  
The man who had addressed them earlier stood on a small platform and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he cried. Confused murmuring commenced at the mention of a woman in the crowd.  
"Ladies? Why there ain't no ladies here!" a soldier yelled.  
Paine sighed and hit him on the back of the head. "Back here you moron!" she shouted. He turned around and met her hard, red eyes. He shrugged sheepishly and muttered what sounded like an apology.  
The irritable man in green coughed loudly. "As I was saying!" he continued, "You'll find your group numbers listed here, as is the location of your drill and the group you will be going up against. Your objective is to capture the opponent's fort and destroy any fiends." A projection appeared out of a sphere he was holding. Paine was in Team 5. "Collect your gun or camera here, along with a weapon of choice if you wish. A caravan will come to pick you up as soon as you are ready."  
There was a flood of people to the racks as soon as he stepped down from the podium. Paine grabbed a camera and a couple of spheres before running out of the mosh pit of a tent. She hadn't gotten a chance to see who her other group members were, but didn't really care either way. It's not like they were going to be friends, anyway.  
"Where to miss? Your group will be my first stop," the Al Bhed driver asked. He had a little bit of an accent as he spoke. Paine had never really met an Al Bhed, and her parents and priests had warned her against them. They said that the Al Bhed polluted Spira and cursed Yevon's beliefs.  
"Uh, Team 5?" she asked. "I'm not really sure where that is."  
"No problem! I'll take you there as soon as the other groups arrive!" he said. So Paine waited under the covered caravan as one by one, the other members of different groups arrived.  
Team 5 arrived at their site first. Paine sat down by a large rock or fragment of large machina and attempted to install her sphere. Her other members were three men. One of them was blonde and wore an eye patch. He waved and grinned at her. Paine ignored him, pretending to be fixated on her camera.  
The second one wore the heavy, green robes of a follower of Yevon. His silver hair swept back over a well-tanned face. He had a curious look about him, always surveying his surroundings. She could tell he was a friendly guy.  
The other man was by far the oddest. He limped on a metal leg and had an uninviting air around him. He completely ignored her and the other two members. Instead, he concentrated on loading his gun. Paine would get nothing out of him. He seemed somehow familiar, though. As if she'd seen him before.  
The sphere finally snapped into place just as Team 3 started firing. Paine lifted up the camera and began to film.  
"This is rough," the man in robes commented.  
The blonde Al Bhed sat down, covering his head. "Isn't Team Three getting a little carried away? I thought this was supposed to be a drill!" An explosion nearby knocked him off his feet. He stood up and fired a few rounds at the opposite team.  
"Aren't you an Al Bhed?" the curious one asked. "Why are you trying out for the Crimson Squad?"  
"Hey, the Al Bhed want to protect Spira too. I wanted to be a Crusader but apparently we're, uh, 'not eligible.'" He examined his gun. "Besides, no one can handle one of these babies like an Al Bhed can."  
"Machina," the Yevonite murmured, looking ready to drop his rifle. "Even if the maester's okay with it, what about everyone else?"  
"Shut up," the man with the metal leg snapped, "We'll get reported." He looked pointedly at Paine. The Al Bhed waved at her to turn off the camera. Paine shrugged and flipped it off.  
A few minutes later, Paine flicked the switch back on. The Yevonite was attempting to make friends with the serious, metal-legged man. "My name's Baralai. I'm from Bevelle. You?"  
He didn't receive an answer. The Al Bhed man scoffed. "I've seen this a thousand times," he said, walking up to Baralai, "A lot of people would rather shoot an Al Bhed than tell them their name."  
The man paused. "It's Nooj," he replied coldly.  
Baralai gaped. "THE Nooj?" he asked. Paine remembered when she had seen him. He had been hanging around Mushroom Rock when she was a child, applying for a job as a Crusader. Back then, he had both legs. People called him a "Deathseeker," someone who was searching to die.  
"Uh, hey, Nooj?" The Al Bhed said in a quirky tone, "My name is Gippal." Nooj continued to ignore him as he ascended up the hill.  
Baralai walked over to Paine. "And you?" he asked. The sphere went dark.  
"Damn it!" Paine cursed. Too much sand had gotten into camera. The sphere would now be unusable. She tossed it over her shoulder and installed a new one, ignoring Baralai's question.  
"Hey!" Gippal pointed over the fortress to a row of machina leading over to the enemy's side. "We can get through there!" Baralai looked in the direction and nodded. "Great! You coming?" Gippal asked her. Paine nodded as well and picked up her sword.  
They had almost reached the enemy's shelter when the gunfire suddenly stopped. The four of them looked at each other quizzingly and stood. There was no sign of the other team. In their place were a multitude of fiends. Almost instantly, they were surrounded. Paine began to film again.  
"Ammo?" Baralai cried.  
"I'm out!" Gippal shouted back.  
"This is it!" Nooj yelled.  
"Don't give up!" He now held a long, bladed staff.  
"Me?" Gippal pulled out two thieves knives.  
"Now what?"  
"After you!"  
"Scared?"  
"BANG!" Baralai shouted, trying to scare the fiends back.  
It was then that Nooj did something Paine thought no living person would ever do. He hobbled over to a flame-breathing fiend and threw down his gun down at its feet. Paine gasped and threw down her camera, picking up her engraved sword. She sliced it in half with a practiced, downward sweep, leaving Nooj dumbfounded.  
She then commenced helping Baralai and Gippal with the other fiends. Once they were exterminated, she picked up her camera to finish her work.  
Nooj glared at her with dark eyes. "How dare you..." he asked. He wanted that fiend to kill him. This amateur had prevented that.  
"Nooj," Paine said coolly, "Word has it that you're searching for a place to die."  
Gippal, who had been looking around for any more fiends in the sand, glanced up. "You serious?" he asked.  
The Deathseeker sighed. "It's harder than it sounds."  
"He's serious," Gippal replied in Al Bhed.  
"You were ready to give up back there," Paine continued, "Ready to die."  
"Very perceptive," Nooj sarcastically replied, "You'll be a legend among recorders."  
"You're a legend yourself," she said, "The Crusaders won't soon forget 'Nooj the Undying.' So why?"  
He stared at her for a while before answering. "It's my life to throw away." He began to walk away, limping heavily on his metal leg. Paine raised her eyebrows. This was in interesting man.  
Baralai frowned. "Nooj?" and followed him.  
"Hey!" Gippal jogged after him as well. Paine turned the camera off and tagged along, pleased with her day's work. They better pay me well, she thought.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Toey: That sure was a long chapter.  
  
Mari: We worked really hard on it. You know, watching the spheres over and over again, to make sure that we have all of the words exactly right.  
  
Toey: Yeah. I'm exhausted.  
  
Mari: Want to go get a cookie?  
  
Toey: Sure! 


	7. A Fight With a Guardian

Mari: Ahem. I had to change the content of this chapter because I just got a new sphere in the game.

Toey: Yep. Unluckily for us, the sphere took place in this particular boat scene.

Mari: Turns out Paine only started being mean after –

Toey: whispers Shut up! No one has to know we failed.

Mari: Uh right. Well, anyway, I changed this chapter a little bit, so read away!

The caravan bumped across the dunes. Most of the ride passed in silence, but for a few small conversations between Baralai and Gippal. Paine busied herself with polishing her sword, and Nooj stared blankly into the open sands.

Upon arriving at the dock, Paine was surprised at the small size of the remaining group. It was only about a fourth of the people that had arrived. She tried not to think of what happened to the other members.

"Congratulations," the man in green said, "You have passed the first exercise. You will promptly be escorted back to Luca where you will have a two-day's rest. Then you will undertake one final mission to determine if you have passed into the Crimson Squad. Board the boat!"

The disheveled soldiers shuffled onto the boat in the growing dark. Paine followed, brushing the sand out of her hair. She stood out over the bow of the ship as it sailed into the dark ocean. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her three group members sitting together, looking tired and worn from the days' hectic events.

She sauntered over and sat down, lifting up her camera. Gippal looked at her and scoffed. "You're still doing that?" he asked.

Paine pursed her lips. "It's my job," she replied coolly. Gippal only shook his head. She turned the camera on again, recording their conversation.

Baralai, who was sitting cross-legged looked up at the sky. "So what do you make of this Operation Mi'ihen?" he asked, referring to Mushroom Rock's plan to destroy Sin with machina.

Gippal sat back against the mast. "With a weapon like that it's gotta work, right?"

"It's _that_ powerful?" Baralai said in awe. "A machina that can topple Sin...Wow... That's a little scary."

His friend looked down. "Machina this, machina that. There's nothing to worry about if you use 'em right." Baralai didn't respond. "So, once we get Sin, then the Calm'll come. Got anything exciting planned?"

Baralai chuckled. "I haven't really thought about it."

"It sounds dull," Nooj said from his spot by the rail.

The Yevonite laughed and got to his feet. "First he wants to drop dead, now he's looking for excitement?"

Gippal stood as well. "Guess we better think of something fun to keep Nooj entertained, eh?"

"Brats," Nooj snapped as they approached him.

The other two looked at each other, then started laughing. There was no real reason, but the day's events had taken their toll on their sanity. Paine laughed with them, for the first time. She hardly noticed when Baralai approached her.

"Why don't you join us?" he asked, taking the camera from her hands.

Paine's smile faded, replaced with her usual, cold, sullen expression. "It isn't my place," she said, and turned away, walking to the bow of the ship. She crossed her arms and took a deep breath of the salty air. Gippal followed and took the camera from her hands.

"Hey!" she protested. "Give that back!" She chased him back to the others. "Come on! You better not break it, or it's my ass they'll be dragging down to Kinoc!"

Gippal shrugged as he fiddled with the buttons. "Come on! Let loose and have some fun with it! I want to test one of these out! Besides, I'm an Al Bhed. I've handled airships; I think can handle a camera. So there's no need to worry." He brought it up to his eye. "And...Action!" he turned on the camera. "So, whaddaya got in mind for fun?" he asked again. "Any ideas, Dr. P?"

She looked at him a little oddly. "Me?" She asked. Then put a hand on her hip, deep in thought. "A ship that glides through the air," she finally said. "The thing that you mentioned before. If it's for real, I wanna fly it." A feeling of Déjà vu came over her. She had talked like this before. Lying on the roof of the Agency with her brothers.

"You get to be pilot, then," Baralai said. "And maybe I'll try my hand at navigation."

Gippal nodded. "Then I'll be engineer!"

"Nooj?" Baralai asked

Paine sauntered over to him. "Captain," she simply said. Baralai rubbed his chin. "Ah, that's perfect," he mused.

Nooj scoffed. "You'd let an amateur be captain?" he asked, the barest tint of sarcasm showing in his voice.

"Chill out, Noojster," the Al Bhed replied, "All you've gotta do is shut up and look important and you'll fit the part."

"Like a glove," Paine added.

He looked at them. "I'll work you like dogs," he said. The four of them laughed again. Gippal, being the self absorbed person he was, took the camera and waved at it. But just as he flipped it off, it fell down to the deck.

Paine sighed. "Great," she said. "You broke it." She shook her head and cursed herself for being so careless. For a few brief minutes, she had become the fun loving, caring person she used to be before Sin came. Laughing, joking with people who felt like her older brothers. She bent down to pick up the broken camera. The drop had jammed the sphere lock in place, so she couldn't get it out. All the better. She didn't want to remember this anyway. Shaking her head, she walked away to the other side of the ship.

"Hey," Gippal's voice said from behind her, "What's up? I would have expected that from metal-butt guy over there, but what do you have against us?"

She replied without turning around, "I am here to do a job and get paid. I shouldn't be laughing while the souls of my family wander the Farplane." Why didn't this Al Bhed idiot understand? She just wanted to be left alone.

Gippal rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm sure they wouldn't want you to be sad about their deaths," he said experimentally. "I mean, now you have friends to watch your back." He put an arm around her shoulder.

Paine whirled around, pushing him away. "You just don't get it, do you? I want to be left alone, so just go away! You do your job and I'll do mine!" she stomped off to the lower cabins. Gippal began to follow her, but was stopped by Baralai.

"Let her go," he said. "She's hurting. You can't do anything now. I know what that's like, losing family to Sin," he continued in a softer tone, "It'll be a while before she opens up."

The Al Bhed shuffled uneasily on his feet. He stole a glance at Nooj, who seemed to be oblivious to the whole situation, staring blankly out over the ocean. So grumbling something about not getting enough rest, Gippal and Baralai headed to the second deck for some sleep in the cool air.

Nooj, on the other hand, _had_ heard the commotion. Part of him was glad that the Al Bhed had gotten what was coming to him. The cold, machina part. But his living half knew what Paine felt. He knew the anger and the fury of facing Sin head on, yet not being able to fight it off. He wouldn't tell her things would get better, because they didn't. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited for morning.

Paine didn't sleep that night. Instead, she swung her sword left and right, fighting off her demons, banishing them from her mind. It did her little good and left the cabin in shambles. However, she did manage remember a competition being held in Luca the next day.

The best swordsmen in all of Spira would gather for one, blitz-free day, and duel for the championship title. It was worth a shot, and she did have two free days before the final task. Besides, she needed to see how good she had really gotten over the years.

She spent the last few hours before dawn training in order to keep her mind off of the conversation on the deck. A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Who is it?" she called, trying to clean up her mess of shattered pots and lamps.

"It's me, may I come in?" Baralai's smooth voice answered. Paine sighed and opened the door a crack.

"What do you want?" she snapped. His persistent attitude was beginning to get on her nerves. "I'm kind of busy right now."

Baralai peeked his head in and saw the shattered pots and miscellaneous overturned objects. "Uh, yes, I can see that. Listen, I came here to apologize on Gippal's behalf for being so insensitive last night. He doesn't know what it's like to lose someone to Sin."

Paine rolled her eyes. "Oh, and I suppose you do. Well save it. You don't bother me, and I don't bother you. Let's keep it at that."

He bowed. "Whatever you say," he replied, and left. Paine waited for a few minutes, just standing by the door, and then climbed up to the deck. Gippal was there as well. She threw him a dirty look, and went over to the side, where they were pulling into Luca Harbor.

She clambered onto the railing and jumped from the moving ship onto the dock. Setting off at a leisurely pace, her first stop was to sign up for the competition. Preliminaries would be starting soon, and she didn't want to get left behind.

Soon, the stadium was packed and the clashes of metal on metal were heard. Paine's opponents went down easily and quickly at her blade. "This is too easy," she muttered as she disarmed another soldier.

"And the winner of the match is Paine!" the announcer shouted. She smiled. One more match and victory would be hers. She heard the door open as the next challenger walked in. The crowd gasped. "Her next opponent is the winner of the Swordsman Guild's championship. Sir—Auron?" The announcer couldn't hide his surprise as the legendary guardian of Lord Braska, the high summoner who defeated Sin 10 years ago, stepped into the stadium.

He was a tall man who, by the gray streaks in his hair, looked to be in his forties. Dark glasses hid a scar running down his weathered face, and his right arm was in a sling made out of his red robes. He freed it and lifted the great katana onto his shoulder. Paine shook her head in disbelief and readied her own sword for the battle.

Auron rushed at her, swinging his blade at her head. She ducked and countered with a lunge at his middle. He struck her sword aside and leapt back, circling her. When he attacked again, Paine dropped into a roll, and sliced at him from behind. But the old man was quicker than he looked and blocked the hit and whirled to face her.

"You're good," he said from under his high collar as their blades locked, "But you can't beat thirty years of experience.

Paine met his eyes squarely under the metal of the swords. "I can and I will," she hissed. He closed his eyes in a, "Yeah, right," expression. Paine took the opportunity and jumped back. She lowered her sword and hooked it under his in and attempt to disarm him, but the former guardian grabbed the top of her sword and pulled it towards him. She pulled back fiercely and he let it go at the worst possible moment for her, sending her sailing onto her back.

Auron walked over and pointed the tip of his sword at her throat. She felt him smile. "I win," he simply said, and walked out of the ring. Paine watched him go, and then shakily stood up off of the dusty stadium floor.

She was so tired...maybe a little rest would help...

Paine fainted.

Toey: That would have been an awesome CG cutscene.

Mari: Oh, the fight with Paine and Auron? Yeah, I just made that up.

Toey: Good imagination.

Mari: smiles Thank you!

Toey: gasps You smiled!

Mari: OO


	8. The EIGHTH Chapter gaspeh It's up!

Mari: Sorry it took so long to get this up.

Toey: Yeah. The rest of my penguin clan called me up to Iceland on a top-secret mission.

Mari: I was busy too. The Crazy Monkey Federation needed my help in planning the takeover of Mars. Or was it Jupiter? I can't remember.

Toey: Oh, by the way: the CMF now owns your home.

Mari: Anyways, you may have known that Chapter 7 was changed. If you didn't know, please go now and reread it...silence

Toey: whispers Do you think they are rereading it?

Mari: whispers If you are reading this and you have not reread Chapter 7, please read it now.

Toey: whispers Whisper whisper whisper? Whispery whisper whispers.

Baralai and Gippal saw their teammate collapse after the fight. They looked at each other in disbelief. Paine had fought Sir Auron head to head, and managed to stay on her feet for more than a minute! Obviously, there was more to their recorder than she had let on.

Swinging his feet nimbly over the railing, Gippal jogged into the sphere ring. He picked up the unconscious girl and swung her over his shoulder. Baralai followed as he carried her out. "Do you think she will be alright?" he asked, looking at Paine's face.

"Beats me," Gippal cheerily replied, "Who cares anyway? She's already famous for beating down ten guys without breaking a sweat! Baralai, she _fought_ against Sir _Auron_! The man helped Braska defeat Sin ten years ago! He's a legend, and I don't have to tell you he's handy with a sword." He shook his head. "I just can't believe it," he murmured as he walked into their rented room.

Nooj was already sitting there, watching a sphere monitor. He stood as they entered. "Is she alright?"

Gippal shrugged and lay her down on her bed. "I take it you were watching the tournament?" he asked, "Pretty amazing, huh?"

"I can't say that I would expect less from Sir Auron," Nooj replied nonchalantly, sitting back down.

"Oh come on, Nooj!" Gippal shouted, "Stop with this high and mighty attitude! You can't honestly make us believe that you were watching _him_! Paine was awesome! She took down ten people your size!"

"Uhhh, I think that you guys ought to keep it down a little," Baralai softly said, "You might wake her up." Gippal looked over at Paine, and then grimaced.

"I still can't believe it," he said in a quieter tone.

"People are full of surprises," Nooj commented in a matter-of-fact tone. He stood and limped out the door.

"Do you think we will ever understand him?" Baralai asked when the door shut.

"Nah," he chuckled, shaking his head. He sighed and sat down on a chair next to Paine's bed and gave her a sidelong glance. "She's kinda cute, dontcha think?" he said after a moment.

Baralai punched him lightly on the arm and sat down next to him. "It'll never work between you, you know? If that's what you mean."

"Nah! No way! She's too young for me. I'm just saying..." he paused. "She's cute when she's asleep."

Before he could react, someone punched him squarely on the jaw. "Care to repeat that statement again?" a cold, familiar voice replied from above his crouched position.

Baralai laughed. "Haha! That was a nice one, Paine! Someone had to put him in his place!"

"And I was glad that it was me," she said, with the faintest glimmer of a smile. She quickly did a damage check, and was relieved that nothing was broken. "I can't believe I lost," she murmured.

Baralai chuckled. "It's okay! You did better than any other person out there against Sir Auron! You put up quite a fight. Believe me, by tomorrow, you will be a legend!"

"But...I don't want to be a legend."

At that moment, Nooj opened the door. "Good, you're up. We have to get going. The second trial starts soon. It is situated underneath Mushroom Rock."

Paine stiffened. She turned to Nooj, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What? Mushroom Rock? Doesn't that mean...we have to go through...Mi'ihen?"

"Of course," replied Nooj.


End file.
